Telephone pay station circuit



May 26, 1953 c. E. LoMAx ErAL TELEPHONE PAI STATION CIRCUIT 2sheets-sheet 1 Filed April l5, 1951 ATTORNEY May 26, 1953 c. E.| o'MAxErm. 2,640,107

I TELEPHONE PAY STATION CIRCUIT Filed April 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2FIG. 2

9` lo 5 n JNVENToRs gunsrjcs .LoMAx 0H GAL G HER BY ATTY.

Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE PAY STATIONCIRCUIT Application April 13, 1951, Serial No. 220,778

3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to telephone paystation circuits andmore particularly to such circuits including a device for controllingthe availability of the coin channel for the acceptance ornon-acceptance of deposited coins.

The main object of this invention is to provide a simple circuitmodification to present existing, as well as new, paystations that willallow a mechanical device to reject a certain denomination coin (anickel in the present illustration) for initiating a call; whereas oncea call has been initiated with a coin of another denomination (a dime orquarter in the present illustration) that previously rejecteddenomination coin will then be acceptable for toll calls.

Other objects of the invention will appear upon a further perusal of thespecication taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. l, which illustrates diagrammatically the apparatus andcircuits involved in a system employing Ithe invention. Fig. 2 is a rearview of the upper part of a paystation telephone with the back boardremoved. Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional View of the nickel channel takenalong the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top sectional view of the coinchannels in the coin chute and of the controlling mechanism taken alongthe line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Reference may be had to co-pending application of Ray John Gallagher,Serial No. 169,479,

filed June 21, 1950, wherein there is disclosed a mechanical adaptationin the paystation coin chute for rejecting an initially depositednickel, thereby compelling the calling party to deposit a dime orquarter to effect the connection. Once the call is initiated the nickelcoin channel is conditioned for subsequent acceptance of nickels inpayment of toll charges. The present invention utilizes this mechanicaladaptation and concerns itself with the means for controlling the saidconditioning means for the nickel channel. An illustrated portion of thedrawings of the above-mentioned application has been shown representingFigs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings in this application. Referring to Fig.2 it will be seen .that the coin chute 9 is shown as mounted within thepaystation housing and being normally positioned over the coin hopper l.Fig. 3 shows the nickel channel 4 with the flexible spring 2 in itsnormal or diverting position, also shown is the coin retaining walls orsurfaces 5 and 6. Fig. 4 shows the nickel channels 4 of the coin chute 9and also the control relay l0 as being mounted on the coin chute. Thecontrol relay l0 is shown in the operated position, in which theoperated armature l has engaged the spring 2 and moved it out of thenormal diverting position in the nickel channel and into the acceptingposition. It will be seen `that in this position the spring 2 combineswith the wall 8 to form a complete retaining wall. A more completedescription of this apparatus is covered in the above-mentionedapplication. In the hereinbefore cited co-pending application a portionof the upper wall of the nickel channel is removed and replaced by asmall rectangular thin sheet of nickel silver (controlling spring)projecting diagonally into the channel and anchored at one end to thecoin chute. The other end is flexed to an other than normal position bythe armature of a control relay. This controlling spring is normallypositioned in the nickel coin channel so that a deposited nickel will bediverted to fallout of the channel into the refund chamber in the samemanner as would a nonstandard coin. Thus, the party would have todeposit a dime or quarter to actuate the coin trigger contacts forinitiating a call. In the present invention this control relay,disclosed in the hereinbefore cited co-pending application, is connectedin the paystation circuit in series with the line so that it willoperate once the call is initiated and a iinder has found the line. Thecontrolling spring will be flexed or pivoted out of the channelresponsive to the operation oi' this control relay; and therefore anysubsequent nickels deposited for toll charges will pass through theentire nickel channel to strike the coin signal bell. The control springforms a retaining wall for the channel in the flexed position.

Referring now to the drawings a detailed description thereof will now begiven. Assuming that a party desires to make a local call and removesthe receiver and deposits a dime. As hereinbefcre mentioned, with themechanical adaptation disclosed in the co-pending application, a-deposited dime wil-l. eect the closing of coin trigger contacts 3 I.The coin collect-refund magnet 30 will therefore be connected to thepositive line and line relay 35, in the individual line circuitassociated with the paystation, will operate, over the followingcircuit: ground, coin collect-refund magnet 30, coin trigger contacts3|, positive talking conductor 34, contacts 3l, through line relay 35,to battery. Magnet 30 will not energize in this circuit. Responsive tothe operation of line relay 35, finder 38 is initiated to seek out thecalling paystation line in well-known manner. When the line is found byfinder 38 and repeater 39 is connected thereto,

the line rela-y in the repeater will connect negative potential tonegative talking conductor 33 and ground will be connected to positivetalking conductor 34. Typical repeater 39 may be of the type disclosedin U. S. Patent 2,113,080, issued to T. F. Crocker et al., April 5,1938. Responsive to this application of potential across the talkingconductors, control relay l0 operates, over the following circuit:negative potential on negative talking conductor 33, through controlrelay lil', coin signal transmitter I3 and shunting resistor M, talkingtransmitter i6, induction coil Winding i8, dial pulsing contacts 22',hook switchcontacts 25, to ground on positivev talking conductor 34. Theoperation of relay i0 actuates armature I which in turn iiexescontrolling spring 2 to the accept position. The paystation is nowconditioned for acceptance of nickels as is fully described in thehereinbefore cited co-pend'- ing application. The call may now beextended,

responsive to dialing, inl wellrknown manner through selector 40 and viaconductors 5,4', 55 and 55 through connector H. to substationl.

For this previously described local cal-l, the

conditioning of the paystation for acceptance of nickels serves nouseful function; however, assuming the party dialed the toll operatorover finder 33, repeater 33, selector 40, andv via. conductors 5|, 52and 53 to the toll operatorsposition 5i?,` this conditioning will benecessary. It is very import-ant that the nickel channel.y be availablefor toll charges as all denomination coins will invariably be deposited.Thus, it is seen that While the nickel channel is. initially blocked,once a call isini-tiatecl that nickel channel will be useful fordepositing the toll charges.

il. slight modification or" thisv circuitl will cause control relay Itto be responsive only to the answering of the called party. This. is`effected.

by utilizing X wiring which places rectifier lin parallel with controlrelay IO; Duningswitching and up until thetiine the.ca-lledpartyanswersnegative potential will be placed on lconductor 33. Will shunt. theloop. current around control relay I0, thereby preventing it.

and rectifier ll from operating. However, responsive to answering,battery is reversed over; the linesv in well,- knoivn manner andK thenegative.l potential?, will ythereafter be connected tol talkingconductor 34.. The current through. the paystation will offA H course,reverse and rectifiery H willv not conduct.`

Substantially all of theloop current will therefore pass through controlrelay l0 and. causeoperation of same. Thus itA is` seen lthat the con.-ditioning process answering operation.

It might be noted that during dialing, shunt spring contacts 24 shuntout the contr-ol relay,l

may be delayedi untilA the f Cil all such modifications as fall withinthe true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described our invention in d-etail, what we claim and desire tohave protected by issuance of Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a telephone paystation, a transmitter, a line, a under-repeaterlink for seizing said line, a coin channel having retaining surfacesleading to a hopper, a portion of one of said retaining surfacescomprising a iiexibly mounted coin controlling spring, said spring andchannel normally positioned so that coins will not lbe retained withinsaid channel at one time, and a control relay in series with saidtransmitter for flexing said spring to retain coins within said channelat other times, said relay operable responsive to seizure of said lineby said finder-repeater link.

2. In a telephone paystation, a line, a. finderrepeater link for seizingsaid line, means for supplying reverse battery to said line, atransmitter, a coiny channel' having retaining surfaces leadingv to ahopper, a portion of one of said retaining surfaces comprising aflexibly mounted coin controlling spring, said spring and channelnormally positioned so that coins will not be retained within saidchannel at one time. a control relay inseries with said transmitter forilexing said spring to retain coins within said channel at other times,and a rectifying device connected in parallel with said relay, saidrectifying device preventing said relay from operating upon seizure bysaid iinder-repeater link, said relay thereafter operating responsive tothe operation of said reverse batterymeans.

3. In a telephone paystation, a line, a coin channel, a flexible springassociated with' said channel and normally projecting into said channelfor diverting a deposited coin therefrom, a control relay associatedwith said flexible spring,

said control relay included in series withl said linereversed polarityfor moving said flexible spring out of said normal diverting positioninsaid channel and` into a non-diverting position.

CLARENCE E. LOB/IAX. RAY JOHN GALLAGHER.

References. Cited in the file ofl thisv patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 2,312,680 Stonev Mar. 2, 1943- 2,370,239 -Friend Feb;27, 1945l 2,375,066 Avery May 1,1945 2,583,783 Lomax et al Jan. 29;.1952

